North Carolina remixes classic SI cover with Hubert Davis, current squad
North Carolina is once again No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press poll, and the Tar Heels' social media team celebrated in style.
To honor their 10th time atop a preseason AP poll — the most by any program — the team's official Twitter account celebrated by recreating an iconic Sports Illustrated cover from 41 years ago.
The 1981 cover featured legendary head coach Dean Smith and four of the team's starting five — Sam Perkins, Matt Doherty, Jimmy Black and James Worthy. The 2022 version features an experienced squad coming off an unexpected run to the national championship game under rookie head coach Hubert Davis, a former player at North Carolina under Smith himself.
Worthy, who is now a Los Angeles Lakers broadcast analyst following a Hall-of-Fame career in the Lakers' "Showtime" era, tweeted out his approval of the remixed cover photo:
The players in the 2022 image are forward Rechon "Leaky" Black, guard Caleb Love, forward R.J. Davis and center Armando Bacot. All four played major roles in the Tar Heels' 2021 NCAA Tournament run, which was highlighted by an upset of rival Duke in the Final Four to end the career of Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Davis, meanwhile, heads into his second season as head coach with sky-high expectations after a successful first year taking the reins from another legendary North Carolina head coach in Roy Williams.
There was only one eventual starter on the 1981-82 Tar Heels to not make the original Sports Illustrated cover — a freshman guard by the name of Michael Jordan.
But that's ok, as Jordan would find glory at the end of that season, making the game-winning shot to beat Georgetown in the national championship game.
